Radio detecting and range finding system



Feb. 17, 1948. G. w. FYLER.

RADIO DETECTING AND RANGE FINDNG SYSTEMS Filed sept. 2,` 1942 T0 SOURCE 0F SWEEP VOLTAGE m wn mu on P D0 VM NT A om MT 5M .Ilu

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jl ...(FZMHQL @im Inventor George W Pyle-1^,

y His Attorney.

Patented Feb. 17, u1948 uriner) sur mimo DETEc'rm ANI) RANGE FINDING Q sYs'rE George WrFyler, `Stratford,=Conn., assignor to (mineral Electric Company, acorporation vof NewYork" l. Y

Application septembenz, 1942, serial No. 457,064

My invention relates tosystems employing ralf dio pulsesv forz the detecting and range finding* ofdistani'.V objects or targets, and particularlyto gain ,control and band widtnclontrol means for the receivingapparatus uponjwhich the pulses reiiected from distant object'sae impressed;

'In common practice the receivers`of'3the re ected pulsesv are characterizedbyxed e'ainf`-` and fixed band Width during the rception peri` ods of the pulses, that is," in 'the'peiods 'between the` main pulses projected4 directly from `the transmitter tothe objects orjtargets. In the` use of these receivers the dimculty has been enf countered, however, tha-tier' amplifying and inl" dicating the more distant re'rect'ed'puls'es "orf echoes whichare vrelatively"weak; upon arriving at the receiver, the requiredfreciver gain is very' high. The relatively 'strong' reflectedpulsesjV from nearby lobjectsv then tend, because ofthe high gain, towsaturate thereceiver; andin many 20`l4Y cases it is impossible, in the"oscillograph or like pulse indicating means ofthe receiving apparatus, to distinguish betweenor 'toseparate'A the closely spaced indicatinscorrspondlng to near` by objects at slightly different `distances from the receiver. d" i 'i 4'It has been' found that an improved r,result is obtainable from the detectingjad rangeiindingv system above mentioned `by 'increasing the; over i all gain of the` receiver with Atime'during' each;

reception period of the' Areiiec'ztelpulses. l'Sys-` tems for providing suchfincreasing gain of the receiver are described and claimed in cof-pend.-

ng application, Serial 110.4219390, of Franklin-f G, Patterson, fued'Jmy 2", 1942and assigned to the assignee ofmy present application. Since the amplitudel of thereceived` pulses ,reected from the objects iniamgiven `'range variesin.' versely as much asthe fourth powerofthe dise` tance of, the objects. from.the` receiver, both" rapidV variation` of gain directlywith .distance `band width inverselyj and a `Wide `variation of. with distanceare desirable.; j

`It is, therefordan object of my present tecting and range finding system, for increasing vention .to provide `a'njirnproved means in 4ade-f "45f the A,gain of the receiver exponentially or as a power of time during neach reception period.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a system of the abovementioned character, an improved 'means-l for :increasing the gain of the intermediate[frequencyamplifiers ofthe receiver during each reception period.

Another object of the invention .is to provide means for varying the band width of the rej scvlaims. (c1. 25o-1.66)

Esi PATENT ori-'ice 4cei'ver inversely with time during each receptioniwhichv pulses reflected from"or"=emanating `from period.

It is a further and particular object of the inventio'n to increase. during each reception period- 3 in a pulse receiving system, the overall gain ofv thereceiver and simultaneously to vary inverselywith time the band width of the receiver;

In accordance with"my present invention, the*- hereinabove'mentioned diillculties are overcome" '-and the foregoing objects VVare attained, rstly',i

by utilizing potentials from a suitable source" and particularlyI the main pulses from the transmitter.for`producing suitably varying bias poten-w tials on the receiver intermediate frequency am plier stages "to cause the desired gainincrease' during each receptionV period andat the same" time to cause inverse varying of the band Width by change'of input lcapacity;` and, secondly, byf

utilizing simu1taneous'1y','in the intermediate fre-r1' quency amplifier. stages, symmetrical detuningV` produced by unbypassedv cathodefresistances as-:i

sociated with the amplifier stages,ltciV cause add` ed inverse varying oi` the band width by change" of amplifier linput capacity.

The novelfeatu'res which arei considered to b'e' characteristicof my invention are set forthwith? particularity inthe appendedr claims.

venti'on itself,V however, both vasto its organiza.A f' tion and method of Voperation together with fur` i ther objects and advantages thereof may best be" understood by reference to the "followingde-v scription taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein-Fig.' l is a diagraml matic representation ofadetect'ig and rangen finding system wherein my invention has been embodied; Fig. 2 showsan amplier grid bias*` curve illustrating the invention in varying thevf receiver gain `and bandwidth; Figs. 3 and 4'show f curves illustrating/fthe invention'fin increasing" the'band width variationjend Figs. 5 and 6,' show comparative results in indication of the: reflected pulses in a detection and range iindingwL system in accordance with' my' invention and a likefsystem as employed heretofore.-

'I`Fg.' 1, in` thedetection-arid range finding:

system illustrated thereinfthelnumeral VIl) designates a pulse` transmitter o'ffanysuitable'form adapted-to project radiolpul'ses Vdirectly't .ob-2

portion of the system an'ampliierand rst detector'stage provided with an"'antei'inafi 3 uDOIiV the objects or targets are impressed. The .rstf

stagel'2' is connectedtoV an' intermediate fre-1::

quency amplier apparatus, designated generally by the numeral I4, which may comprise several stages I5, I6 and I'I, including anodes I8, I9 and 20, cathodes 2|, 22 and 23, unbypassed cathode resistors 24, 25 and 26, control electrodes 21, 28 and 29, and bias input or discharge circuits 30, '3l and 32, 4the latter leircuits'inc'luding respectively capacitance33 and resistance `34,capacitance 35 and resistance 36, and capacitance 31 and resistance 38. A suitable source (not shown) of anode potential is `provided .to supply the several anode circuits. v

The intermediate frequency amplier apparatus I4 is connected to a'secondfdetector "39 connected in turn to a video amplifierflwhich impresses, in the usual manner, the voltages Y corresponding to the reflected pulsesorechoesl upon the vertical deecting plates 4I and 42 of a conventional oscillographic` device 43, theV horizontal deflectingrplates 44 and 45 ofwhich are connected toa suitabler source (not shown) Vof sweep trace voltage. The oscillographic device 43 `isadapted 'to have vformed upon its screen A46 a'sweep trace -havingtherein deflections orlike indications 'corresponding to the reflected :pulses or echoes received Vfrom the y,objects =or 'targets during each .receptionperiod As the i'structure and operation of vthe oscillographic -device 4'3 form 4no part yof Vthe present invention the flatterdevice lwill -not be further-described herein.

In arriving atan understanding vof the :manner in'which the mainpulses Ifromthe transmitter I0 are lutilized in accordance with .my :present invention for kbiasing ithe control electrodes v`2'I, 28 and 29 -of the intermediate frequency amplifier devices I5, I 6 and lil, it will :be .understood that in operation of the system illustrated in Fig. 41,- not only at each ,fpulse period isahigh-.intensity short-period pulse projected directly from :the

transmitter I -to .the remote objects, Vto be re-y ceived 'and n'indicated .by the `receiving apparatus later fin the reception period after'traveling lout tothe objects Aand being reected therefrom back to the receiver, but a vportion of this `.high 'in'- tensity and short-period .pulse projecteltlfrom vthe transmitter I0 is vpicked up at the vexactfinstant of its initiation directly by the receiving apparatus unless the receiver is otherwise'deenergized during `the period of the transmitter pulse.

The vtransmitter pulse thus `picked Aup by the receiver overloads every stage. The high negative bias which consequently appears Aon the intermediate frequency amplifier control .electrodes 2,1, 28 and 23 because of rectification-of the main pulse builds up during this main pulse. At the end -of the main pulse period, however, the bias fcircuits 30 `to 32 begin to discharge land the receiver begins to recover sensitivity, a suitable `time constant being chosen for the bias rvdischarge circuits sothat `maximum :sensitivity is regained during the later portion of vthe yrecep-v tion period.

As the time constant of the capacitanceresistance discharge circuits `3II to `32 depends uponseveral factors, suitable values of the vcondesired for the receiver and also upon the type of intermediate frequency amplier employed. For example, an amplifier of the remote cutoi type would require a greater overall change in bias than other types. A third factor to be considered is the value of the negative bias potential :produced/by the main pulse on the control electrodes 1.21 tto 29. The maximum negative bias thus produced should not exceed the cut- -01T. bias of the ampliers I5 to I'I as, otherwise,

reilected .pulses from nearby objects would fail stents must be Vchosen for particular applications of the'invention. One factor which must vbe lconsidered is the repetition rate of the main pulse fromtr'ansmitter III. For example, a pulse repetition rate of 2.000 per -second requires :a much faster time constant kthan a rate of 1000 per second. Another factor tto beconsidered :is the required rate of change for the fbias voltage on thecontrol electrodes -of ampliiiers I5 to III,

which is 'dependent upon :thefgain characteristic 174! :.to'berecorded'and would be lost since the sensi- "tivity of the receiver would not be regained until after the "arrival of these nearby echoes.

'for example, the'potential to which capacitance '35 is charged during the period of the pulse from transmitter I 0 depends upon the value of previous amplifier anode current, the value of capacitance 35, and the duration of the pulse. The surge current in a given amplier has a deiinite value, and the duration of the surge current is a function of the Width, or time period, of the main `pulse. Thecharge-up potential produced on the capacitance v35 by the pulse from transmitter I0 can, therefore, be determined by varying the value of this capacitance. For example. by vemploying alarger capacitance value a smaller charge-up potenti-al may be obtained. The discharge time constant being RC, Where R. is the resistance 36 and C is kthe capacitance 35, a suitable value of R is chosen for .the particular value of C as determined by the charge-up condition above explained. Thus, in calculating the constants of the amplifier circuits for obtaining a. desired receiver `gain characteristic, any required time constant, RC, for the bias discharge circuit 3l may be obtained `by .employing different values of the capacitance 35.

As the echoes or yreliected pulses from the most remote objects ina given range arrive toward the later .portion of the reception period, the full gain ofthe receiver is needed along toward this later portion, in order that these echoes, whichvare relatively weak because of the distance ofthe objects from the receiver, may be clearly indicated in the sweep trace. The bias circuits 3II-to 32 should therefore be so arranged that they are largely or substantially completely discharged at .this later portion of the reception periods.

To insure the condition of substantially complete discharge of the negative bias discharge circuits Ato restore full gain of the amplifiers I5 to II .toward the end of each reception period, the time constant of these circuits should be only of the .order of one-tenth of the time period of the vsweep trace cycle, as shown approximately in curve 4'I of Fig. 2. For example, assuming a transmitter pulse repetition rate of 1000 per second in which case the time constant may bev Mcrofarads lmegohru 1000 100,000 ohms '.01 10,000 ohms Thusiby 'proper "choicefof theicirc'uitf constants and by; the 'employment off amplifiers having' the proper f characteristics; afdesired'increasc in gain", during `:the reception perioduorsweep. trace ycycle mayi be secured, .thereceiver sensitivity rising to or near its maximum value' toward .the later lpart of 'the cycle;` duringl which'll'aterpart the reIlected pulses fromzthemore distantlobjects are re `v ceived, requiringgthe fullf 'gain of the receiver for? adequate definition; IBy a4v suitable choice o'f' time constants inthe bias discharge circuits 30 to 32 in one or more stages it i'spos'sible to obtain an` `ap1:roximation` .to `a `squareflaw*change 1in sensitivity ofthe receiver. .Furtheran'approxi; mation of .a fourthY powerfrate'ofisensitivitychange may ybe obtained by employing `more con-' trolled stages such aslto I'l'infFig. i

In the foregoing description'of 'the manner'in` which the gain is increased during each reception. period, `the transmitter pulse. is described aSSuti-'I lized in olitainingl the desired varying bias ,potenf tial: on thecon'trol electrodesl of tlie amplifiers "l5 toil. 1 It will bezseen vtl'iatfincasev the r'eceive'risV arranged to bein a deenergized conditioxi'during the'4 transmission `period ofthe pulse from`transl mitter FII), itis possible, instead. of utilizing thev transmitterpulse;tofsupply the desired biasing potentials to `,the intermediate'frequency ampli Iier; stages Lfrom other vusual 'wavel shaping vci1` cuits. `However, the utilizing of thedlrect' from transmitter 'i0 is 'preferred' because 'of' its simplicity. It; is Well known that theinput capacity of cer# tain types of: electron discharge devices, Vs`uch"t,|".s` those characterized by high `'Gm or mutual con-Y ductance, varies with the controleleotrode'bias;

the input 'capacity decreasing Aat low anodeY cur-` rent. Therefore, `by the use of amplierso'f suit-l able type, such as the high Gm type above-men'- tioned for. example, this" decrease in the tuning; inputcapacity oflampliers, I6 and may vbe utilized to produce .detum'ng of vthestages'and consequent increase 1in band width'. during each. reception periodor sweep trace cycle, the nega` tive bias being high aty the beginning of thefre-l ception periods :and the anode current being cor-l respondingly low. `Thus the band width of "the intermediate frequency. amplifier stages is caused to vary inversely withY the gain of thesel stages. Ihe .Wide band width in the receiver output is de# sii-able to insureaccuracy inthe determination?v of: distancesand for the separation `of individualV echoes over `short distances, up to approximately lmiles in range nding. Long distance detec` tion on the other hand, over distances ranging up to 150 miles for example,V requires the maximum usable sensitivity of the receiver which usually implies decreased band Width. Since the useo'f the system for detection involves also-a certain;

amount .of range'nding and viceversapitis"l usually desirable that detection 'and` rangeiind-r ing be` accomplished in al single receiver .with

optimum Yperformance for either condition. Referring Yto Fig. 3 `in connection with Fig-1,VV simultaneous variation of band width-with gain-f in the system of Fig. `l is also obtained, and thetotal band width variation` increased, by utilizing symmetricall .detuning yin z the intermediate` :fre-l quency amplifier stages. 1 Employing intermediate frequency amplifiers ofthe 1852-6AC7 typei the?` cathoderesistance 26 `may be 30 ohms,zthis` stage maintaining i cons'tantV tuning in itself` as; shown`zby.;curver f The overallV tuning of the receiver-Las ishow by Acl'u've 5l" is then' broadened at -low anode ic'urrent .corresponding to the Fear-VI lier?l portionf'of `thel reception Aperiod and sweep: trace-cycle. ."f' The? broadening eiect-can be in; crease'dtby using' a; higherl IF` frequency or vice? versaf=uThat` is;':a\ten per centvchange in C wlll=` represent mre megacyclesfat a higher. IF fire?" quency-fsw 5f.. .,.r 5'.

- Referring to therein .forrthe`1853-6AIB7 type ampliiier. instead` of the l1852'-6AC7 in`v the intermediate frequency amplifier :stagesvlitof I'l,l the unbypassed resist#- ance for thest'age'shaving respectively the values 0 .oh`1i1`s;90 .ohmsyand' 60 ohms. As shown-bythe: capacity curve's offrFig. .4; somewhat less change in inputv capacity fand therefore less gain varias tion is produced by use' of the 1853*-6AB7' than by the 18526AC7-amp1en In the symmetrical detuning arrangements illustratedin" Figs. -3` and 4` thev amount of de-Y tunin'g which may be obtained in a given stage is* dependent 'upoiithe'v circuit Q and upon the ratio of the change ACg, in input capacity to thev totalcircuit capacity. n A capacity change of onemicromicrofaradlmay occur in a totalcapacity of approximately 15 micromicrofarads, producing" at least 'athre'e per cent frequency change." For example; 'if the intermediate frequency stages arel tun'ed to' '40 megacycles, a. 'detuning of l 1.2 megacycle' may be `obtained on either side of resonance which, together with the band widthl broadening;caused in connection with the varia-l tionfin gainby use of the `bias circuits 30 to 32; produces adequate results 'in total broadening` of the. band VwidthL In 'utilizing symmetrical detuning for varying of the band width the'bias f discharge circuits 30 tc 32 should have approxiy gain and band width during thereception period.

Indications pof' reflected pulses corresponding to nearby Vobjects appear as one'large block 55 in theisweeptrac'e ofthe receiver and cannot be dis-' tirlguishedI individually'.4 Further, the indicationssuchl as 5' 0f individual echoes in the laterportion ofthe sweep'traceare difcult to distinguishfrom otherpulseindications and from the noise indications which are large relatively to-the echol indications'because no reduction in band widthl tracehavingfindications of the same `reflected tgfiof' several individualreflected pulsesifroin capacity curves are showni-V anaaeoo nearby :objects ;are1v'; bservabletr and -in .fthe :later portion of-thettrace, an indication,.such as\56,=of the reflected fpulsefrom afdistant object'fstands 'outrzprominently from other pulses and from the noise levelindications because 'of the increase in gain and simultaneous decrease inl .band width in this later portion asiillustrated generally by the gain curve 60 andthe band width vcurve 6L The invention has beenvillus'trated and .described herein as applied particularly-to a detectngL-and rangerinding systemin--which the apparatus comprises,` atza.. given location,' not onlya receivingmeans but `also vatransmitterxwhich projectspdirectly lto the Vobjects thefmain Apulses whichafter reflection from the objects are `later picked upland indicated by thereceiving'means. It'zwill be understood, however, that the invention isJnot-limitcditoA such system combining aftransmitter and receiver in one location, but that the invention 'may be appliedztorany pulsed receiver,

the tuning of the receiver being changedginfaccordance with the presenti invention, in 'a :predetermined 4manner duringv the pulseperiod.

' lrMyinventionhas beenfdescribedxherein in par ticular embodiments for kpurposesiofillustration. It-willbe understood, however, thattheinvention is 'susceptible of variousxchanges vand modifications and that bythe appendediclaims Iintend to cover "any 'such modicationsias 'fall `Within the truerspirit an'cl--scopeof my invention.A

What I claim as new andedesire'to-securefby LettersPatent tof the UnitedStates is:

1. In combination, means for `projecting pulses to -objects :at varying distances, a receiver ifor providing indicationsiof said pulsesafter reiiec. tion from said'. objects, `said receiver including .a plurality of i amplifier stages each vhaving, a cathode anda ycontrol electrode, the control electrodes ofsaid .amplifiers-.each having a bias: discharge circuit connected thereto, means lto charge .said biasrcircuitsby said projected pulses vat each :re-

ceptionperiod of said reflected-pulses, andajplu;

rality of unbypassed resistances of predetermined differing yvalues Aconnected respectively Vin series with said cathodes for detuning symmetrically said ampliierstages; vwhereby the gain'of said receiver is lincreased and simultaneously'the band Width-thereof is decreasedduring eachfofsaid reception periods.

A-2. In-combinatiommeans to project asuccession` of high frequency` pulses spacedapart intime toward objects spaced at diierent distances, a receiver `for .receiving fpulses -from said v-.objects duringf'the intervals between the pulses fot-said.

trolling the-transmission band widthA of rthe receiver in which nsaid pulses-are received which comprises rectifying each projected-:pulse `'to producea 'voltage reducing in value .during the in' tervals between projectedfpulses, andzvaryingzsaid band lwidth .in-accord with said potential. i

4. ,In `combination,1means to radiate a succession ofpulsesspaced'apart in time toward distant objects, means to .receive v:pulses fromsaid objects during, i. the` iintervals between isaid l:prciiectetl pulses, said received `pulses resulting -`from -impin'gement ofxsaid'projected pulses lonisaid objects, Asaid -receiver including `an yelectron discharge pulseampliiier having a plurality of stages in cascade, "said'stages having maximum'transmission at a desired frequency, said transmission reducingat frequencies departing from said de sired frequency,:and vmeans to vary during'said intervals lthe frequencies atwhichsaid diierent stageshavefmaximum transmission to reduce the transmission band ,Width'of said amplifier with time during Asaidintervals.

:5. In combination, means to radiate a succession ofpulses spaced apartin time toward' distant objects, means 4to `receive pulses -from vsaidlobjects during the intervals-betweenfsaidprojected pulses, said vreceived pulses resulting from impingement of said'projected pulses on saidfbjects, said receiver including Van electron discharge pulseampliflerhaving a pluralityof stagesin cascade; different of said stages havingmaximum transmission at J diiferent ,-frequencies,u and means to vary 'said 'diiieren't frequencies toward `each other during `each-oi said fintervals thereby to narrow .'thetransniission band widthfof said amplier during the course of' eachv ofisaid intervals. :6. In combination, :means to radiate a successionf of pulses'spacedapart in time toward distant objects,meanstozreceivefpulses from said objects during the intervals betweenA said projected pulses, saidlreceived pulses resulting from impingement of said projected pulses on said objects, saidreceiver including anelectron dischargeipulselamplier having-aplurality of stages in cascade, each of said 4stages lhaving a control electrode `and cathode'between which the received pulses are impressed and between which exist capacity, Veachv stage having gain and yfrequency of maximum transmission -fbothdependent on the potentialon said capacity, means `utilizing said electrodes to rectify yeach projected. pulse'to `produce a charge on saidcapacity to:reduce the gain of the respectivestageand-rtofvary saidfrequency of maximum transmission 'of the respective stage, resistance 'across each of said capacities of value such that'said'charge'leaks o'' gradually between projectedipulses toincrease said gain and to vary said frequencies, said stages being so constructed and arranged that-said'frequencies of maximum transmission are"diierent in different stages-1in the presence 'of said charge and'vary toward each other'as said charge diminishes,whereby the gain of said 'ampliiier increases and its transmission band width diminishes during the course of each of said intervals,

'7. "In vrcombination, means to radiatea successionfof .pulses spaced apart intimetoward distant objects, means'to receive pulses from said objects duringthe intervals between'said projected pulses, said '"received pulses resulting 'from impingement of'said `projected pulses on said objects, said receiver including "an Y electron ldischarge vamplifier having acontrol electrode and-cathode and'havingm'aximum transmission at a frequencyjdependent `on the capacity between said control electrodeand cathode, vand means to vary said capacity during each ofsaid intervals to vary' the transmissionband width of said amplifier.

'8.The combination, inl a 'receiver Vfor rapidly recurring pulse trains, each train comprising pulses `of reducing intensity during the `respective train, :of means responsive to the stronger initial pulses of l said 'trains to reduce the sensitivity' of saidireceiver and'to :increase the reception 'frequency band Lwidth, fand 'means to 'increase 'sai'd sensitivity and reduce said band width during each pulse train at a rate such that the later weaker pulses of each train are received with maximum sensitivity and minimum reception frequency band width.

9. In combination, means to transmit regularly recurring pulses to objects at varying distances, a. receiver to receive said pulses after reflection from said objects, whereby said receiver receives regularly recurring trains of pulses, the pulses received from less remote of said objects being received earlier in said trains and with greater intensity than pulses from more remote objects, and means responsive to the initial pulse of each train to reduce the sensitivity of said receiver and to increase the reception frequency band Width, said means including means to increase said sensitivity and to reduce the reception frequency band width during each train sufciently that pulses from remote objects are received with maximum sensitivity and minimum reception frequency band width.

GEORGE W. FYLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,171,637 Shrader Sept. 5, 1939 2,225,524 Percival Dec,'17, 1940 2,167,492 Sproule July 25, 1939 2,009,459 Turner July 30, 1935 2,361,648 Petty Oct. 31, 1944 2,143,035 Smith Jan. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 545,778 Great Britain June 12, 1942 

